See You On the Hill

For as long as the little girl could remember, the hill was always her happy place. A place she could be herself, the only place for her inquisitive heart to get the answers it was looking for. This is where she has always felt and will always feel closest to God, as if He handcrafted this secret paradise with solely her in mind. As the little girl grows up and life changes, she can always rely on one thing that will never change or fail her – the one thing waiting on top of the hill – God and His promise to be with us from the very beginning until the very end.

Shelter in Place

Aurora Scott was living her best life, guiding troubled adolescent girls on wilderness adventures, and returning to her Arlington home and supportive husband, Peter, an NSA analyst. But all that Aurora holds dear is wrenched from her when an aggressive cancer takes Peter and, just months later, an electro-magnetic pulse attack plunges the United States into a prolonged blackout.

When even the cabin that Peter had prepared becomes unsafe, Aurora finds herself marooned in a hut deep in the George Washington National Forest, her survival skills stretched to their limit and her will to survive trickling away.

"In her novel Shelter in Place Maria Bowling offers us a glimpse into the post-apocalyptic future that is as terrifying as it is realistic. In prose that is spare and unflinching, Bowling tells a story of a lone woman who loses her family and risks everything to find her place in a world that has left so many behind."

 - Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author of When Ghosts Come Home.

"A woman is alone in the wilderness, and the society she left behind is descending into lawlessness. Shelter in Place is a terrific work of imagination, sound delivery, deft prose, and thematic power."

 - Richard Adams Carey, author of In the Evil Day.

"Shelter in Place is a unique novel set in the near post-apocalyptic future. It is one woman's struggle to survive, to seek justice, to protect those in need, and to reclaim her life and identity. Aurora is smart, courageous, relentless, and righteous. She's both a warrior and a nurturer, a victim and a winner."

 - Kristina Gorcheva-Newberry, author of The Orchard.

Shining Star

Quirky writer Elena Jimenez begins an unlikely secret friendship over email with ultra-famous actor Ben Jones after a serendipitous first meeting. Over several years, the two forge an enduring bond centered around the joys and challenges of parenting. During this time, Elena painfully endures a failed marriage, which takes her years to recover from.

From day one, Elena and Ben share a palpable attraction, readily apparent to those around them. Elena finds herself longing for those exhilarating moments when she gets to see or hear from him again. Ben seems to inhabit an entirely different world defined by fame, fortune, and a jet-setting lifestyle. By comparison, Elena’s life appears mundane – a single mom navigating her writing career.

When Elena finally gathers the courage to explore her feelings, she’s catapulted into Ben’s dazzling world of celebrity. Will she adapt to the glaring spotlight, or will the trauma of her past undermine her shot at happiness?

Shira

Shira is a fast-paced historical thriller that gives the reader an inside look at the Israeli spy organization, Mossad, during its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. The story is about a young woman who is recruited to join the agency by an aging spymaster who believes women can serve an important undercover role in the traditionally male-dominated organization. Shira is inserted into some of the Mossad’s most infamous operations, including the murder of an Iraqi scientist, the raid that freed 103 hostages at the airport at Entebbe, and the audacious smuggling operations at the Red Sea diving resort in Ethiopia. Along the way she has an on-again, off-again relationship with her college boyfriend who questions the morality of her chosen profession. Their differing points of view about how to deal with volatile Middle East hostilities occurring at the time (and still occurring) form the moral dilemma that drives the plot toward its surprising but satisfying ending.

Singing Down the Rain

Poetry can be viewed as a reflection, a song, if you will, of society in the time it is written, but at the same time, it is timeless in the continuum of past, present, and future. In the dance of words, the reader will follow the Rorschach Ink Blots in the dance of words to find meaning in the visual imagery presented here.

Six Feet from the Edge

Johnny Sullivan is a bright and intelligent young man who finds himself caught in a dangerous life of crime and drug addiction. With his very existence on the line, Johnny must dig deep into his soul and revisit his past innocence to break free from the agony and suffering that threaten to consume him. The novel presents an intense battle of Good vs. Evil that unfolds in every chapter, as Johnny is pulled between two worlds: one defined by love, family, and nurturing, and the other by chaos and excitement. Six Feet from the Edge is a gripping and powerful story that explores the human spirit's strength and the enduring power of hope.

So, Tell Me

Have you ever wondered what a life of travel was like at a young age? Have you ever wondered how it would be meeting new people all the time growing up? Could you imagine strangers helping to watch you while your mother was sick? Can you fathom never making friends because you knew those relationships wouldn’t last? How grown up was a child expected to be or not be? Feelings of adventure, fear, sadness, and pure love all wrapped into this real-life story.

Splinter: My Personal Journey through My Sister's Mental Illness

We have all encountered people with mental illness in school, the workplace, among our friends, and in our families. If the emotional or mental distress is mild or non-threatening, empathy and compassion go a long way. Dealing with someone who has a personality disorder is another matter.

When Charlotte Yardley’s sister moved to her town after they had communicated mostly by phone for 40 years, she found herself ill-equipped to interact with someone whose behavior alternated between tears, depression, anger, blow-ups, and outright cruelty. She had thought they were close, but now she was being blamed for everything her sister believed was going wrong in her life. As Yardley dipped into co-dependence and depression of her own, she sought therapy.

Through journal excerpts, summaries of concepts from books she read, excerpts of her sister’s emails and therapy sessions, even a teacher-like handout, she invites the reader to join her in her journey toward acceptance of the kind of relationship she can and cannot have with her sister. Though the subject is dark, there is some humor, and there’s a section of quick tips at the end for those facing similar relationship struggles.

St. Damon's Hall

This Young Adult novel takes place in a small New England town and is a coming of age story for Frankie Folinari and his friends. While all of these friends are special in their own way, Frankie’s many trials and tribulations tell the story of a particularly special young man. Frankie is not just the leader of the group, he’s an emerging 21^st century hero trying to understand and control his emerging powers.  This gripping novel tells the story of 6 friends whose lives were forever changed and their paths altered by their chance meeting. This adventurous tale takes many twists and turns as this group hunts for justice while some even find love along the way.

Stand Alone Still

Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and healing in this compelling exploration of resilience and forgiveness.

Have you endured unimaginable hardships, surviving what feels like hell on earth, only to realize that the path to salvation lies not in entering heaven, but in healing your own wounded heart? In this poignant tale, you will discover that the true meaning of home extends far beyond physical walls – it resides within the depths of your own being.

As you navigate the challenging terrain of self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others, you will uncover a profound truth: the battle lies not in the external world, but within yourself. It is through this internal struggle that you find the strength to grow and transcend the limitations imposed upon you.

Story 1: The Delights of Sean Jr.

Sean Jr. had a tough life—as his mother told him, he had the ‘forbidden illness’: lusting for men. His uncle took him in, yet Sean lived a criminal lifestyle ingrained in the family business. Thug life meant trouble was Sean’s middle name; the drugs and jail did not help much either.

Now Sean had two loving parents. Yet his uncle was in conflict, wanting to protect Sean from the evils of their family’s work while disapproving of his player lifestyle. Meanwhile, the body count from their criminal exploits continued to rise.

Storyteller in Times Square

Storyteller in Times Square opens with a visit to New York and the ruins of the World Trade Center. Thus begins a poetry collection that reflects in subtle and surprising ways the post World War II history of the United States. Without being either “political” or “ideological,” the poet employs concise and often disciplined forms of language to touch upon deeper matters of destiny and feeling.  Our lives, our deeds, our ideas—all of these have consequences for how we treat our land and each other. The moments of lyricism and humor help us to keep our balance. And the perspective is important, for these poems are about paying attention to reality. Can we pay attention to the voices of history submerged in our wake, swirling behind us? Perhaps that question in essence is what these poems ask of us.